(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the structure of a terminal retainer to be coupled to a connector housing in order to prevent the after insertion slip-off of a terminal member inserted in a terminal chamber in the connector housing of a connector used for connection of a wire harness or the like.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
For retaining a terminal member inserted in a terminal chamber of a connector housing, it has been a general practice to provide a flexible locking arm integrally on an inner wall of the terminal chamber and to engage the locking arm with the terminal member inserted into the terminal chamber, thereby preventing the after insertion slip-off of the terminal member. Recently, it has been proposed that a terminal retainer be coupled to a rearward portion of the connector housing to prevent securely the after insertion slip-off of the terminal member, by both the terminal retainer and the above-mentioned flexible locking arm or by the terminal retainer in place of the flexible locking arm.
FIG. 9 illustrates the prior art as to the locking structure mentioned above. In this figure, support projections d, d are provided on the inner surfaces of opposite walls c, c of a terminal chamber b in a connector housing a. Tapered actuating surfaces e, e are provided at rearward portions of the support projections d, d. On the outer surfaces of the walls c, c are provided tentative arresting projections f, f and arresting projections g, g in that order from the rearward to the forward side.
Also shown in the figure is a frame-shaped terminal-retaining member h. The terminal-retaining member h comprises, at the inner and outer sides of a frame body i, flexible locking arms j, j and flexible pins k, k both extending toward the forward portion of the connector housing a to be combined therewith.
In coupling the terminal-retaining member h to the connector housing a, a first-step engagement is first established in which the flexible lock arms j, j are engaged with the first arresting projections f, f. In this condition, the flexible pins k, k are extended straight forwardly so that they do not interfere with a terminal member l inserted into the terminal chamber b.
Next, the terminal-retaining member h is pushed forward to establish a second-step engagement in which the flexible lock arms j, j are engaged with the second arresting projections g, g, as shown in FIG. 10. In this condition, tips k.sub.1, k.sub.1 of the flexible pins k, k contacts the tapered actuating surfaces e, e and forcibly bent inward to hold an electric wire clamp portion m therebetween to be disposed on the rear side of support projections n, o of the terminal member l to prevent the after insertion slip-off of the terminal member l.
In the prior art, when the terminal-retaining member h is pushed forward from the first-step engagement to the second-step engagement with respect to the connector housing a, the tips k.sub.1, k.sub.1 of the flexible pins k, k are forcibly bent inward by the tapered actuating surfaces e, e to clamp the terminal member l therebetween. In this case, therefore, there is the possibility that the terminal member l in an unsatisfactorily inserted condition may be clamped as it is. Thus, the terminal-retaining member h does not have a function of checking the unsatisfactory insertion of the terminal member l.